SInce the departure of his Excellence the Earle of Warwick from our Fleet, we have no way forgot our duty, but beene in a constant po­sture of War about our coasts ever since, watching the approaches of all Ships that might give any assistance to the Malignants against the high Court of Parliament. On Saturday the fifth of November two of our ships had in chase neare the Island of Silley a French bottome, who upon view of us stood out to Sea­ward: Sir David Murrey therefore (being a nimble Sailer) undertook her, and after two houres chase haled her aboard; but she made no answer, but clapt on more sailes to get the wind, which being somewhat scant she had no possibility of escape. After the discharge of two Guns (one of which shore her Mizzen by the board) she came in, being indeed a French Vessell, and of S. Malos; her loading (as her Ma­ster affirmed) being Normandy-Canvas, and other Linnen, and that they were bound for Southampton: Being inquired of why they shunned us, they answered, they tooke us for Dunkirk men of War. But going down into her hold, un­der some slight packs of linnen cloth (the serpent lurking under that grasse) wee discerned some bales of Match, and [Page 4]barrels of Powder; three hundred Muskets, or thereabouts; three Field-Pieces; five hundred Case of Pistolls, and as many Carabines. So finding by the lading that there was some further mischiefe convaied in that Vessell, Sir David examined the Master, for what end all that Ammunition was prepared, by whom put aboard him, and whither bound? After some flight excuses he told he was bound for Penrin in Cornwall; that he was fraught with those goods by the procuration of some English Gentlemen in S. Malos; that that man (pointing to one in a Saylers habit) could better informe; who being strictly called to question, was found to be one Master Greenvill, a Kinsman to Sir Bevill Green­vill that perverse Malignant, sent by him and Sir Ralph Hopton to make purchase of those Armes and that Ammu­nition in France: which partly with money from the fore­said Knights, and by the assistance of Master Termyn (whose cred it is good in France) meeting him at S. Malos, was pur­chased. Letters there were found about the said Greenvill, in certain mystick characters, from Master Termyn to the said Sir Ralph Hopton and Sir Bevill Greenvill, which with the Vessell we made stay of, intending as soon as possibly she could be brought up the River (being an old leaky Vessell) to send her to London, with the said Greenvill and ammuni­tion, to the dispose of the honourable the Court of Parlia­ment.

On Sunday the sixth of November, our Fleet being twelve ships in company, to the starboard of us we espied two ships, as far off as we could ken, which made towards us with all sailes: and upon their nearer approach we perceived them to be of good burden, and ( [...]s we conjectured) men of War: they taking us for Merchants bound outward, were resolved to see our lading; and so comming within some­thing [Page 5]neare distance, they were found to be Turks men of War: They perceiving us not to be the men they tooke us for, tackt about, and faine would have been gone: But the Fidler plaid No such matter, we made account they should not part so easily with us; and so our Rere-admirall Sir Iohn Menns, with two of our ships, the Assurance and a Mer­chant of five hundred Ton, undertooke them: the Rogues seeing no way but they must fight, their wast-cloaths out, and all things ready, they gave us a broad side of at least thirty Guns from both of them, making amain towards us, hoping (having a full wind to friend, and being light nimble Vessels) to have got through our Fleet and escaped: But Captaine Millar that commanded in the Merchant gave their Admirall a salute, that spoiled part of his haste, cut­ting his fore-mast clean by the board: the Assurance also out of her Fore-castle shooting her great Guns at her, tore her without mercy, so that the Rogues were but in an ill plight; yet would they not yeeld, but stood stoutly to it, be­ing very well mand, playing upon us with their Muskets, and casting fire-pots over into the Merchant-man with great fury and agility, but thanks be to God they did small hurt. At last Sir Iohn laid their Vice-admirall aboard, and though those miscreants would have discharged their Murderers to cleare their Decks, yet our men were got into their Cabin ere they could give fire: with that they cryed for Quarter, which was granted; and their Admirall perceiving his com­panions misfortune, struck his top, and submitted himselfe to mercy. There was in both the ships a hundred and forty men left alive, threescore being in the fight sent to their Prophets Paradise. We lost but foure men. There was in them threescore good brasse Guns, eight and thirty in the Admirall, and two and twenty in the other; abundance of [Page 6]ammunition, which was their lading, being (as their Cap­tain confessed) bound with it for Ireland, to sell to the Re­bels, with whom they have continuall traffick for those com­modities, since their insurrection: those incarnate Devils being debard of all help from Christian Princes (to whom they are detestable for their rebellion) trading with these Turks. Howsoever, for this time we have mard their mar­ket, and made lawfull prize of men, vessels, and goods, which shortly shall be sent up to London, to testifie our good wils to serve the King and Parliament.

Within foure dayes after this, one of our lesser ships brought in a Holland Catch, which it had taken going to­wards Milford haven in Wales, whither it was bound; there being in her a servant of my Lord Digbies, whose Pockets were well stuft with Letters; some of which, it should seem those of consequence, he cast over-board: those that were found about him, were from his Lord to the Earle of Bri­stoll, wherein he much bewailes his absence from his coun­trey, wishing he were here to serve the King against the Par­liament, entreating him to send him over some money, for that he was in great want: that for ammunition, as powder, shot, and the like, he was afflicted he could send over no more, having neither credit nor money for that purpose; which if he had it were to little end, the States being so desi­rous to comply with the Parliament, that they had absolute­ly prohibited the exportation of that kind of merchandise. Other letters there were, from him to Commissary Wilm [...]t, from Sir Frederick Cornwallis to Sir Edward Stradling, Ma­ster Ashburnham, and other Malignants, but of no impor­tance: Howsoever, they are with us in safe custody.

The next day was brought in by the Assurance a French man of Nantz in Brittain, a very good ship; there was no­thing [Page 7]aboard her but Wines and Linnen cloth: her Cocket spoke she was bound for London; and so finding nothing in her that could be prejudiciall to the State or high Court of Parliament, wee dismissed her in friendly manner. And that afternoon we had sight of two Vessels, but they were so nimble we could not reach them all night; but in the mor­ning by that it was cleare we had gotten within musket shot of them, and found them to be French bottomes. We hal'd them aboard, and after we had well ranged them up and downe, we found great store of Ammunition in them; some twelve great barrells of Gun-powder, an hundred Muskets or thereabouts, with much Match: the men we found to be most part Irish, the owners of the Barks being Irish Friars, Priests, and Jesuites, that had bought them at Dunkirk, and fraught them with that lading, which they intended (as Fa­ther Phelim O-Connor their principall Ring-leader confes­sed) to have transported into Ireland, to their Country-men the Rebels; the said O-Connor having about him the Popes Bull, wherein hee gave full absolution and remission of all their sinnes to those that assisted the Catholike cause in Ire­land, proclaiming all those Martyrs that should suffer death in that quarrell. Our Souldiers and Sea-men made very good sport with his Holinesse Bull, which (with the Friars) nothing fearing the Popes curses, we made stay of, as also of their ammunition, which shall serve to better use then they intended it. There was also among other Trinkets a sancti­fied banner, which the Pope had sent to that arch-Rebell Sir Phelim O-Neale, creating him his chiefe Champion, and en­tituling him the great O-Neale, and King of Ulster.

The next day, off from the Isle of Wight we had another vessell in sight, and though we did what we could possible to bring her in, she made so fast to sea, having a full wind, that [Page 8]we could not fetch her up: so after all that daies sailing, with the night we lost sight of her. What she was we could not conjecture, but certainly she was laden with no good Mer­chandize, because she refused to come in, and fled from us with such speed. Some were of opinion that she was a Pi­rate, but I rather beleeve she was some French bottome, fraught with Ammunition, and bound either for Ireland to the Rebels, or to some of the Malignants; as either to the Marquesse Hartford, or the Cornish Malignants.

The next day, which was Friday the eleventh of Novem­ber, it was a mighty Fogge at sea, so that we could not see a furlong before us: and on a sudden came tiding downe the channell three ships of good burden; and ere they espied us or we them, they were upon us within halfe Musket shot: wherefore we shot off a warning-piece for them to come in, but our Colours being not discernable by reason of the Mist, they refused to strike their tops, but let flye a broad side at us, and we againe at them: but they finding the service too hot, ran downe the channell as fast as they could possible, striving to quit us; wee thundring on them with our great Guns as fast as we could possible. Now the wind beginning to blow, the Fogge cleared, and wee discerned them to be States Men of War our friends. So heaving some Cans of Wine one to another, we were very sorry for the harme wee had done them, and departed.

These are all the passages of note that befell us here late­ly, where thanks be to God we are in good health, resolving to spend our blood in the service of the Parliament.